Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 2, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church ("we," "us," or "our"), operating the mobile app FLUMC Daily Devotionals and the current series Awakened to Grace. By accessing or using our mobile application, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

2. Description of Service

FLUMC Daily Devotionals (current series: Awakened to Grace) is a Christian mobile application operated by The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church that provides:

• Prayer Sharing: Submit and view prayer requests from the community
• Devotional Content: Access daily devotionals, Bible studies, and spiritual content
• Community Groups: Join groups for prayer, discussion, and fellowship
• Weekly Journey: Structured spiritual growth activities
• Kids Mode: Age-appropriate content for children (with parental consent)

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

• You must be at least 13 years old to create an account (or use with parental consent)
• You must provide accurate and complete information
• You are responsible for maintaining account security
• One person or entity may not maintain multiple accounts

3.2 Account Security

• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of unauthorized access
• You are responsible for all activities under your account

3.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that:

• Violate these Terms
• Post inappropriate or harmful content
• Engage in harassment or abusive behavior
• Attempt to compromise app security

4. User Content

4.1 Your Responsibilities

You are solely responsible for content you post, including:

• Prayer requests and updates
• Comments and discussions
• Group messages
• Profile information and photos

4.2 Content Standards

All user content must:

• Be respectful and appropriate for a faith-based community
• Not contain hate speech, profanity, or offensive language
• Not harass, bully, or threaten others
• Not violate any laws or third-party rights
• Not contain spam, advertising, or promotional content
• Not share false or misleading information

4.3 Content Ownership

• Your Content: You retain ownership of content you post
• License to Us: You grant us a license to use, display, and distribute your content within the app
• Public Content: Content marked as public can be viewed by all users
• Removal Rights: We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms

4.4 Content Moderation & AI Screening

Automated Content Screening

ALL user-generated content is subject to automated AI screening before publication:

• Text Content: Prayers, comments, messages, posts, and stories are screened via OpenAI Moderation API
• Image Content: Profile photos and uploaded images are screened via Google Cloud Vision API

Content Sharing for Safety

By posting content, you agree that we may share your submissions with:

• OpenAI: For text content analysis and safety screening
• Google Cloud Vision: For image content analysis and safety screening
• Human Moderators: If content is flagged by AI systems

Only the content itself is shared—not your personal identifying information (name, email, etc.).

Moderation Process

Our content moderation follows this process:

1. Submission: You submit content through the app
2. AI Scan: Content is instantly sent to AI services for automated safety analysis
3. Automated Decision:
   • Approved: Safe content is posted immediately
   • Flagged: Potentially problematic content is held for human review
   • Rejected: Clearly inappropriate content is blocked automatically
4. Human Review: Flagged content is reviewed by our moderation team
5. Final Decision: Content is approved, edited, or permanently rejected

What Triggers Moderation

Content may be flagged or rejected for:

• Profanity & Offensive Language: Curse words, vulgar language, or crude expressions
• Hate Speech: Attacks on individuals or groups based on race, religion, gender, orientation, disability, etc.
• Harassment & Bullying: Targeting, intimidating, or threatening behavior toward others
• Violence & Threats: Violent content, graphic imagery, or threats of harm
• Sexual Content: Explicit sexual material, nudity, or sexually suggestive content
• Spam & Scams: Repetitive posts, promotional content, phishing attempts, or fraudulent material
• Self-Harm: Content promoting or glorifying self-injury or suicide
• Illegal Activity: Content involving illegal acts or promoting illegal behavior

Consequences of Violations

• First Violation: Content rejected with explanation; warning issued
• Repeated Violations: Temporary account suspension (3-30 days)
• Severe Violations: Immediate permanent account termination
• Illegal Content: Report to law enforcement authorities

Kids Mode & COPPA Compliance

We are especially vigilant about content safety to protect children:

• All content is screened before children can potentially view it
• Kids Mode shows only pre-approved, age-appropriate content
• User-generated content is never visible in Kids Mode
• Child safety violations result in immediate permanent bans

Appeal Process

If your content is rejected and you believe it was a mistake:

• Contact our support team at moderation@awakenedtograce.app
• Provide context and explanation for your content
• Our team will review within 48 hours
• Decisions may be reversed if the rejection was in error

5. Acceptable Use Policy

5.1 Permitted Uses

• Share genuine prayer requests
• Participate in faith-based discussions
• Engage with devotional content
• Connect with Christian community

5.2 Prohibited Uses

You may NOT:

• Use the app for any unlawful purpose
• Impersonate others or misrepresent affiliation
• Interfere with app functionality or security
• Attempt to access other users' accounts
• Scrape, data mine, or automated collect information
• Reverse engineer or decompile the app
• Upload viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Sell, rent, or commercialize the app

6. Kids Mode & Parental Controls

6.1 Parental Consent Required

• Kids Mode requires verifiable parental consent
• Parents must create a secure PIN to enable Kids Mode
• Parents are responsible for monitoring children's use

6.2 Kids Mode Features

• Content filtered for age-appropriateness
• Social features disabled
• Limited data collection (COPPA compliant)
• Parental dashboard for activity monitoring

6.3 Parental Rights

• Review and delete child's data
• Disable Kids Mode at any time
• Set content filters and time limits

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Our Content

All app content, features, and functionality are owned by The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church:

• App design, text, graphics, and interface
• Devotional content created by us
• Software code and algorithms
• Trademarks, logos, and branding

7.2 Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

• Access and use the app for personal, non-commercial purposes
• View and download devotional content for personal use

7.3 Restrictions

You may NOT:

• Reproduce, distribute, or publicly display our content
• Create derivative works
• Remove copyright or proprietary notices

8. Third-Party Services

Our app integrates with third-party services:

• Firebase (Google): Backend services and authentication
• Sign in with Apple: Authentication option
• Google Sign-In: Authentication option

Use of third-party services is subject to their own terms and privacy policies.

9. Disclaimers

9.1 Spiritual Guidance

9.2 Community Content

• Prayer requests and user content reflect individual opinions
• We do not endorse or guarantee accuracy of user content
• Users are responsible for verifying information

9.3 Service Availability

• App is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE"
• We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
• Features may change or be discontinued

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Our total liability shall not exceed $100
• We are not responsible for user-generated content
• We are not liable for third-party service failures

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims arising from:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your use of the app
• Content you post
• Your violation of third-party rights

12. Dispute Resolution

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your State/Country], without regard to conflict of law principles.

12.2 Arbitration

Disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration, except:

• Small claims court disputes
• Intellectual property claims
• Injunctive relief requests

12.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes on an individual basis, not as a class action.

13. Modifications to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective:

• Immediately for new users
• 30 days after notification for existing users

Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Termination

14.1 Your Rights

• You may stop using the app at any time
• You may request account deletion in Settings
• Data will be deleted within 30 days of termination

14.2 Our Rights

• We may suspend or terminate access for Terms violations
• We may discontinue the app at any time
• Termination does not limit other available remedies

15. General Provisions

15.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church, operating FLUMC Daily Devotionals.

15.2 Severability

If any provision is found invalid, remaining provisions remain in effect.

15.3 Waiver

Failure to enforce any right does not waive that right.

15.4 Assignment

You may not assign these Terms. We may assign without restriction.

16. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms?

• Email: legal@awakenedtograce.app
• Support: support@awakenedtograce.app
• In-App: Settings → Help & Support → Contact Us

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